In talk of 'Core,' wariness abounds

The Common Core education standards have become such a hot-button political topic in Florida that the state is reluctant even to invoke the name.

At the direction of Gov. Rick Scott, the state had already backed away from a standardized test being developed with 45 other states to measure student progress under Common Core. But at a meeting of the Florida Board of Education in Tampa Tuesday, some officials indicated they were wary of using the title “Common Core.”

A chart given to the board showing the progress on selecting a new testing plan called it the “new Florida standards,” scrupulously avoiding the term Common Core. That prompted one education board member to say Common Core “is not a dirty word.”

The Board of Education grappled with Common Core just as the state began a series of three public hearings on the education standards, intended to guide public education in Florida and direct what children should know in each grade. The three-hour hearings began Tuesday evening in Tampa, and will be followed others in Broward County and Tallahassee later in the week.

“This is the opportunity for individuals to provide their input, to say what they think and believe and what they have researched about the standards,” Education Commissioner Pam Stewart said.

Florida and 44 other states adopted the Common Core standards in 2010, with strong backing from former Gov. Jeb Bush. Implementation in classrooms has already begun, with an eye toward going full-bore next year.

But that future has been thrown into doubt as conservative groups, arguing that Common Core represents federal override of state and local control, now pressure Scott and state lawmakers to abandon the program.

The Board of Education was told Tuesday that the state will decide on a new testing plan for the standards by March.

But what those standards will be and exactly what they will be called are both in doubt.

Board of Education Chairman Gary Chartrand said the board would listen to the Common Core critics, but then “move forward” on higher education standards that follow the governor's guideline of no “federal overreach.”

Still, Florida may be calling its standards something other than “Common Core,” although the standards would follow the Common Core and provide a way to compare the progress of Florida students with that measured in other states.

Until the hearings are concluded and the information assessed, Stewart said, it's premature to “rebrand” the standards.

“Until we have collected all the public input and made some recommendations to this board, I don't know that we know what we're going to call it,” Stewart said.

Board members emphasized that it was important for state education officials to be clear about what they were doing and not add to the confusion about changing standards and names.

“You've got a lot of teachers currently in the state of Florida teaching Common Core standards,” said Kathleen Shanahan. She also noted that many underwent Common Core training over the summer. “If there is an evolution to a new name, we need to bring them along so they don't feel disenfranchised.”

Stewart said Common Core standards are already being used in kindergarten through second-grade, with a “blended” standard in the upper grades.

Chartrand echoed other board members' comments in urging the DOE not to be vague or “ambiguous” about the standards.

“I believe that Common Core state standards is not a dirty word,” Chartrand said. “It's something people understand. It's a lightning rod. I understand that. But let's not back away from it.”

Adding to the uncertainty is that it's unclear what test Florida will use in determining how students are performing under the new standards next year.

Florida was part of a consortium of states called the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC, that is developing a test for the Common Core standards.

Under Scott's order, Florida withdrew as the “fiscal agent” for the consortium.

But DOE officials told the state board that the PARCC test remains one of three testing options.

The other two would have Florida develop its own test or it “piggyback” on testing being developed in other states.

In any event, Deputy Commissioner Juan Copa said the department is out to select a new test — which would replace the existing Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test — by March. It would be used in the 2014-15 school year.

The education board took other action on Common Core issues on Tuesday, including formally rejecting the use of technical information related to it.

That includes examples of text — such as literature or poetry — that could be used, samples of student writing and designed math courses. Scott had ordered the rejection of the material.

Shanahan, a strong supporter of the Common Core and former aide to Governor Bush, asked why the data was not being used, since it could help the teachers in teaching the new standards.

“I don't know why we're disarming the teachers,” Shanahan said.

Stewart said information would still be available to teachers and local districts if they wanted it, but not adopting it would remove any doubt that the state, or federal government, was trying to impose a curriculum on the local schools.

Another standards debate broke out over the current FCAT system's A-F assessments.

During the summer, the Board of Education adopted a controversial emergency rule that established a safety net policy, one that would limit a school's grade from dropping by more than one letter at a time.

DOE officials asked that the rule be formally adopted and extended to the 2014-15 school year.

Shanahan criticized the move, saying it was “too cute by half,” and noting that the letter grade safety net will now have been in place for four years if it is extended to the next school year.